Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Nonfiction

Release Date: 1/22/2013

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About the Book: During World War Two, soldiers are fighting against discrimination and injustice. Yet prejudice was happening on the home front in America as black soldiers were not being integrated into the army and many were given service jobs. A group of soldiers fought back against this injustice and formed the 555th-an all black soldier unit that trained to become paratroopers.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I really like Tanya Lee Stone's nonfiction. It's easy to read, accessible for a wide range of readers (this could easily be given to fifth grade students and high school students) and the detail is obvious. I'm not an avid reader of nonfiction. In fact, it's one area I struggle with as a librarian because it's so out of my reading comfort zone. But Courage Has No Color is an incredible story that pulled me in. This is a book that I think readers of nonfiction will enjoy, but is a great gateway into nonfiction for those who are reluctant to try something other than fiction. The text is written in a nice narrative format with lots of quotes and details, yet I never felt as though it got bogged down in dates and facts that I got lost.

I love when I learn something new about a history and this is a story that needs to be told. The story of Triple Nickles, the name the 555th unit gave themselves, is inspiring. This group of brave men stood up for what they believed and decided to show the Army that they deserved equality and could do the work of a soldier. In the author's note, Ms. Stone mentions how this book was her hardest to write because the history of the Triple Nickles was scattered. Her extensive research shows throughout the writing and I think the book is especially strong because of the many first person accounts Ms. Stone is able to pull from. There are many black and white photographs throughout the book that compliment the text and add to the overall story.

This is an excellent addition to nonfiction collections and a story that needs to be told. These brave men paved the way for equality in the military and their story is exciting and engaging.

Book Pairings: Bomb by Steve Sheinkin (for a great pairing of World War Two history), Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone (for a pairing of untold inspiring stories)

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from final copy sent to me by the publisher

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Realistic Fiction Release Date: 2/26/2013 Add to Goodreads About the Book: Eleanor and Park are both misfits. When new girl Eleanor sits next to Park on the bus, they don't want anything to do with each other. But over the course of the school year, things change. It starts with comic books and becomes a friendship and a romance that the two will never forget. You never forget your first love. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Have you ever had a book sit on your shelf that you've heard so much hype about? And you think that books sounds like it would be right up your alley, but you're in a reading slump and you're afraid to give it a try unless it fails? I knew Eleanor and Park sounded like my perfect book, but I was in such an after committee slump that I even though I knew this book would help, I just didn't want to be disappointed. I should have known better because Eleanor and Park was perfect and everything that I had hoped it wou

Post Downton Abbey Reading List

Downton Abbey is over (with a shocking and frustrating ending!) and now I'm suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal. I've got a reading list full of books that I hope will satisfy my post-Downton Abbey cravings and I thought I'd share what's in my pile and get suggestions for other after Downton reads. Here's what I hope to be reading this year (a mix of YA and adult titles): A couple Julian Fellowes reads: And a few re-reads: Edited to add: What's on your Post-Downton Abbey reading list?

Tween Tuesday: Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars Genre: Magical Realism Release Date: 3/4/2010 Add to Goodreads About the Book: Polly Peabody lives on a magical farm. They grow chocolate rhubarb, it rains every Monday at exactly 1:00, and her best friend is a plant named Harry. When the rain stops, Polly's brother falls ill, and her aunt wants to sell the farm, Polly must figure out a way to save her beloved home. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Drizzle is on our state book list and one of our Chat & Chew book club picks. The kids reviews were mixed on this one and sadly, it was my least favorite of all the books we read for Chat & Chew. The kids that liked it said it had action, but for me the plot was slow and dragged too much. The book could have been edited down and I lost interest in the story. I liked the magical farm that Polly lived on, but the magic wasn't enough to hold my interest. I felt like the plot went around in circles too much and never got going. The ending was also a bit

JimFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:57 AM
I've been looking for a good non-fiction book for ages - this looks great! Really good review, thank you.
UnknownFebruary 26, 2013 at 3:34 PM
I definitely struggle to get into nonfiction as well - although I've been reading a lot of it lately! I like how you described this as "a great gateway into nonfiction." Bomb is coming up quickly on my reading list - maybe Courage Has No Color will soon follow?

GreenBeanTeenQueen

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